


The Tale of Woz's Unutterable Weakness (or, how he got his family back)

by bomper



Category: Kamen Rider Zi-O
Genre: After The Last Episode, I liked the post series things but I'm ignoring them, Multi, ps what's your favorite chocolate mine right now is a Twirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bomper/pseuds/bomper
Summary: “I know there’s something going on. You’re not just a creepy stalker. We know you,” Alpina said, and Woz wanted to reach out and touch her face, try to smooth away the tension between her eyebrows. Did she have a headache? But he had no right to touch her like that. Not any more. If he'd even had it before.(…not ‘just’ a creepy stalker?)
Relationships: Myoukouin Geiz/Tokiwa Sougo/Tsukuyomi | Alpina/Woz
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26
Collections: Het Swap Exchange 2020





	The Tale of Woz's Unutterable Weakness (or, how he got his family back)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jen425](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/gifts).



Woz watched from behind a tree, as he so often did. Uh, not in a creepy way, he added hurriedly to himself. He only watched the public times, when Sougo or the others were outside. At this point, they were on their way to school. 

Sougo. Tsukuy- no, Alpina. Geiz. As he watched, Alpina smacked Geiz companionably on the arm, and he reeled in mock pain (though Woz knew very well that Alpina could hit genuinely hard, as a Rider or not). Sougo chatted away to both of them, interrupted by a quick awkward dodge around a mother and toddler. Sougo’s face was soft with fondness, and perhaps that was Woz being ridiculous, perhaps it was merely yearning, and memory, because they were too far away for him to really see Sougo’s face.

The two Time Jackers buzzed around them, now and then, but Woz only had eyes for the three of them. The ones he’d betrayed. The ones who had rescued him, then forgotten him-

Two of them.

He only had eyes for the two of them. 

Wait. 

“Cough cough!” 

His head jerked around and he nearly fell over. He had to hold himself up on a tree! A tree! He was completely bereft of his usual grace, but to be fair, his demon king stood _beaming_ right next to him. Expression full of mischief. And yes, instead of actually coughing, he’d simply said the word ‘cough’ twice. 

Woz was hopelessly in love with him. 

“H-hello?” 

“I should think so, too. You could’ve just come and said hi any time! You’ve been watching us for days! Are you in love with Alpina?” 

It was an artless, simple question (after beautiful, perfect prattling) and the answer was anything but. He couldn’t just say yes, or no, or who are you and how dare you pretend you know me when I’m trying to protect your new identity. 

“Waga ma- _Sougo!_ ” 

“She wouldn’t mind, you know,” Sougo said, grin widening. He reached out to help Woz get himself upright again, and Woz nearly made a horrible sound at the touch of Sougo’s hand on his forearm. “I mean, she might not love you back, not when she doesn’t know you. Though you seem familiar…. But she wouldn’t be mad if you were in love with her. She’s good like that.” 

Woz swallowed, and regretfully drew his hand back. There was a shout of ‘COME ON, SOUGO!’ in the distance. 

“I’m not certain,” he settled on at last. 

“Come to my uncle’s watch shop after school and we can all talk. I know you know where it is!” 

Woz’s attempt at a graceful, eloquent response came out as, “Uh,” which of course Sougo took as acquiescence. 

“See you then!” he shouted over his shoulder as he scampered off. “And you can explain why you called me waga something then, too!” 

_Curses._ The boy had heard that! 

Woz didn’t know if he was hurting himself or helping himself by entering Tokiwa Junichiro’s clock repair shop. 

(Something in him. Wanted so very badly…)

He couldn’t have this. It would hurt them all to remember him, otherwise the timeline would have changed to INCLUDE him, yes?

He turned on his heel to go, just as Junichiro’s voice rang out, “Welcome!” 

But there was a grumpy, resolute face right in front of him. Atop folded arms, which looked less intimidating in a neatly ironed white shirt than in that black and red leather ensemble, and yet.

“You’re not going anywhere.” 

“Geiz-kun,” Woz said in surprise, jerking back before he slammed right into the other, for all that part of him desired that familiarity. He was _used_ to Geiz and his muscularity (including his brain) - as both a foe and a friend. Then Woz slumped. He'd used the other man's name immediately. That was not his best effort at pretending he knew them not at all. 

“I know there’s something going on. You’re not just a creepy stalker. We _know_ you,” Alpina said from his right, and Woz wanted to reach out and touch her face, try to smooth away the tension between her eyebrows. Did she have a headache? But he had no right to touch her like that. Not any more. If he’d even had it before. 

(…not ‘just’ a creepy stalker?) 

There was a small, strong hand tugging at his upper arm. He let himself be yanked out of the huddle by Sougo, and over to the couch. 

“Plop yourself down there,” Sougo said, and with a sigh, Woz surrendered.

Junichiro hadn’t changed, either, in spite of not recognizing him at all. He gave them all a bewildered look, then his face lit up. “I’ll bring refreshments.” 

He trotted out back, and Woz couldn’t help but grin. 

“You know my uncle.” 

Sougo went down on one knee in front of him, and Woz held up both hands in protest. That wasn’t how it was supposed to be! If he had to be lonely, if he had to be alone, that was far better than Sougo kneeling to him, of all people! 

“I do,” he said in a small voice. 

“How, Black Woz-“

Alpina blinked, and Geiz and Sougo’s heads jerked around to look at him. 

Geiz nodded slowly. “Maybe just 'Woz'.”

“Tell us. Please. It’s hurting you.” 

He couldn’t ignore a command from his king, even if his king was no longer his king and simply just a boy, kneeling in front of him. No matter who he was. No matter what he knew. He was still Tokiwa Sougo, and Woz owed his self to him.

“It will hurt you all more if I tell,” he said very softly. 

Alpina sat next to him, and rubbed his upper arm. When he relaxed into it involuntarily, she kept rubbing. “In what way?” 

“Memories. You’re not supposed to recall. The universe has changed, and your lack of understanding is to protect you.” At least, that was what he thought. He tried again. “It could hurt you.” 

Sougo shook his head. “We can handle it.”

Geiz grunted. Always one for words, that one. 

Woz felt his lower lip crinkle, and he surrendered once more. How many times had he given up under similar circumstances, to Sougo? 

He brought out his book, and they all reached out to touch it. Sougo first, of course. Then Alpina. Geiz. And the lights that were not lights, the colors that were not colors, swirled around each of them, and they all grimaced in pain.................. then they all looked back at him once more, and saw him. Geiz. Alpina - Tsukuyomi - Alpina. And Sougo, his king.

His family.

“Woz,” Sougo breathed, and threw himself at him. Alpina piled on from one side, and Geiz from the other, and Woz found himself crying. 

A worried voice from beyond, after a few minutes. A few hours. “Who wants pie?” 

“Me,” Woz said gratefully. “ _Please_.”


End file.
